Hey Jude!
by DoreeReveur
Summary: [Modern day AU] While performing at a bar with his band, Eren couldn't help but notice his best buddy Armin looking glum all evening. He correctly guesses that it has something to do with Armin's crush Annie, whom he doesn't have the guts to ask out and is nowhere to be found. So what's a best friend to do to cheer him up? Why, play him a song of course!
1. Hey Jude!

**Happy New Year, everybody! Yay, I'm finally writing again! Something with a lot of ships! *happy dance* Anyway, I'm in a mood for something musical, specifically The Beatles. Hey Jude's one of my favorite songs from them, and then I stumbled upon the movie Across the Universe. Haven't really watched it yet, just a clip from it, but I think it's awesome. An entire movie filled with Beatles songs? Awesome, man!**

**So, hope you like it! And I own none of the songs featured in this story.**

* * *

><p>It was a funny story, really, the conception of The Titans.<p>

It was during their freshman year of high school, when Eren was still a sensitive and cocky little git, Reiner an even cockier giant git who believed that the football team was destined for him, Berthold an awkward but sweet fellow shadowing Reiner's back, and Ymir that tough biker chick who still hid in the closet despite everyone seeing that she has the hots for Historia Reiss. The four of them met in detention, when their gym teacher Coach Shadis ran into Eren and Reiner's duel to the death because the latter decided to check out the former's adopted sister, with Ymir at the sidelines cheering them on and Berthold attempting to break them up, but in vain. Annie was also there, watching the fight with interest but was smart enough to run when she spied Shadis heading towards the parking lot.

On that fateful Friday afternoon, while everyone else has gone home, the four of them stayed after classes to clean the music room. At first, neither of them spoke to each other, except for the occasional question of where should they put this, or how to open that instrument case, so on and so forth. It wasn't until Ymir decided to tune a guitar and practice out some chords when Eren said, "Oh, so you play too?"

Without looking up from the guitar, she answered, "Yeah, sometimes. Haven't been practicing much, though. Had to sell one of my guitars to buy that baby I wanted." She meant her bike, of course.

"So, you play electric or acoustic?"

"Electric _and_ acoustic."

Reiner listened on as the two began chatting about the pros and cons of this brand of guitar, of what styles of plucking was best for this song, the chords and variations of playing for that song, and other guitar lingo that he vaguely understood. He glanced at Berthold, who was cleaning a flute with a towel and seems to be lost in thought. He knew, of course, that the guy was listening too, but is just too shy to join in the conversation.

Without making a second thought, Reiner piped in, "Hey, I have a question." Eren and Ymir paused their conversation to listen to the other guy's thoughts. "So a long time ago, my dad bought me a bass guitar for my birthday. Bad thing is, I don't know how to play bass, and I have no intention whatsoever in playing. So, either of you interested in buying it?"

The two simultaneously shook their head, as they explained to him that neither of them knew how to play bass. Reiner groaned and told them that it's too bad, since the instrument's just stuck in his closet collecting dust, when suddenly Berthold asked the price he's willing to sell it for.

"Um, not sure yet. Maybe for a few hundred bucks? Why, you interested?"

Berthold blushed and began to stammer. "W-w-well, yeah, I guess. M-m-my parents won't let me buy a brand new one 'cuz I splurged on a new keyboard last month, a-a-and I saw in some forums that a secondhand guitar is alright for beginners." He put the gleaming flute back in its case. "Not that I'm a beginner anymore, though."

"Huh, never thought that you were the musical type," Eren commented. Berthold blushed an even deeper shade of red. Ymir nodded in agreement.

"So what about you Braun?" She turned to the bulky blond. "Jaeger and I have our guitars, and Hoover here has his keyboard and bass, which is also a guitar, and he'll have yours."

Reiner beamed. "Me? Well, not that I'm bragging, but I'm pretty sick with 'em drums." He tapped at the snare drum by his feet. "That's what I wanted for my 13th birthday back then, but I got that bass. My cousin taught me over the summer, and when he heard that dad bought the wrong instrument he gave me his old set."

The four began to talk animatedly about music, enjoying their conversation so much that they didn't realize that they had already finished their job and are free to go home. As the sun began to set out on the horizon, casting long shadows in the parking lot, Eren suggested that the four of them play together sometime. Ymir wholeheartedly agreed, seeing as she can finally share her rockin' guitar skills again, Berthold said that he's game once he and Reiner settle a fair price on the bass, and Reiner offered that they could play in his garage.

Sounds like The Breakfast Club, eh?

But that's the way it is, and the four of them stuck together like glue the moment they set up their equipment at Reiner's house a week later and began to play their first song together, The White Stripe's _**Seven Nation Army**_, with Eren on vocals, Ymir on guitar, Berthold on bass and Reiner on drums, which, coincidentally, everyone knew how to play. The group, pleased with how they sounded, immediately gave a name to their newfound band. As if hearing each other's thoughts, they agreed to the first name that ever crossed their minds:

The Titans.

* * *

><p>Now, three years after the band began, they decided to celebrate their third anniversary with a gig at one of their school's alumni's bar, The 104. Eren's adopted sister and newfound girlfriend, Mikasa, found herself being related to the famed Levi Ackerman, who graduated St. Rose High a long time ago. Her long-lost cousin (actually first cousin once removed, but who's asking for the specifics?) co-owns The 104, and she asked him (or rather, out-bitched him) to let her boyfriend's band play, despite being minors and still in high school.<p>

"Alright," he said, glaring at his cousin and her stupid brother-slash-boyfriend's band behind her (Seriously? Who the heck dates their adopted sibling?). "But if someone reports this to the police, I'm killing you all, Titans."

After finally settling on a date, time, and pay ("No wonder Levi and Mikasa are related," Reiner whispered to Eren as they watched their manager of sorts argue with her cousin for a fair price), the band invited all their friends to watch them play.

* * *

><p>It was an enjoyable night for everyone. The Titans are finally playing at a real bar! They're finally drinking alcohol at a place where they don't have to put out a fake ID! Sasha and Connie, to the surprise of everyone, broke away from the group and got a table for themselves. Everyone teased them for using the band's performance as an excuse for having a date, making Connie blush a deep scarlet and Sasha laugh half-heartedly. Mina, without the usual companionship of her friend Annie, was lucky enough to be flirting with some college guy by the drinks bar. Historia and Marco found themselves having a high tolerance to alcohol, while an unlucky Jean found himself already tipsy after a few glasses of piña colada.<p>

None of the patrons in the bar ever caught on that a lot of the people attending were high school students, and that the band performing was a high school band. In everyone else's eyes, they were just a regular bunch of college students who actually sounded good. Levi told the employees to keep their mouths shut and made sure his co-owners did not visit the bar on that night. He himself was at the bar, keeping watch on them from the VIP floor and making sure that none of these stupid kids make any trouble, and hey, they don't really sound that all bad anyway.

Well, it was an enjoyable event for everyone else, except for one person, that is.

In between sets, Eren would glance at the table where his best friends sat. Mikasa was being Mikasa, smiling at him and mouthing him praises. A drunk Jean was busy flirting with a still sober Marco, who doesn't really know if he should be flattered or weirded out by his friend's affections. And Armin, poor Armin… He looks like a puppy standing outside in the pouring rain, absentmindedly staring at his drink and occasionally glancing at the entrance. Eren thought that he was just nervous; after all, it's his first time at a bar and he didn't exactly tell his grandpa where he went.

So after a quick break, the brunet made his way towards their table where he was greeted by Mikasa with a kiss to the cheek. "You did well Eren," she said, pulling him a chair beside her. He sat down and drank his bottled water in just a few mouthfuls, placing an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and motioned to his gloomy friend beside him. He barely even acknowledged Eren when he sat down at the table. Taking the hint, Mikasa whispered in his ear, "It's Annie."

Ah, Annie Lenonhart. The school's resident ice queen, Mikasa's number one rival in everything, Reiner and Berthold's closest female friend, and Armin Arlert's first love. But alas, that love is unrequited, and after two years of pining for her, Annie still sees him as a friend. No one really knows for sure when the two of them had become close, but one thing for sure is that they first met at music class, which none of his friends shared with him.

That music room sure does wonders, doesn't it?

Since then, Armin has been sneaking off from his friends to hang out with her, and slowly, he fell in love with the girl. One time, Eren complained to him that he misses his company, and the boy confessed to his best friend of his love predicament. So Eren's solution? Invite her in their social circle, since Reiner and Berthold also her friends and they're in the group. To everyone's surprise, she did accept the offer, and the formerly loner girl got herself a few more friends, and Armin found it easier to stare longingly at her now that she's always within reach.

But Armin could only hope that one day, he's going to ask her out on a date. Poor guy. It's already been two years, and he _still_ hasn't asked her out. Eren had the guts to actually ask Mikasa out, and the girl is his adopted sister who has been sending him mixed signals for the past five years. Ymir and Historia are now together, to the surprise of no one. Reiner and Berthold seem to be in a mutual understanding with each other, and Jean's finally come to realize his feelings for Marco. Mina's having her luck with that guy at the back who actually seems to be a nice fellow, and Connie and Sasha…well, those two are just too oblivious to know that they're subconsciously acting upon their feelings for each other.

"I heard Mina say that Annie's running a little late. Armin's pretty jacked up waiting for her." Mikasa snuck a peek at her blond friend before she continued. "He was too nervous to invite her himself, so he let Reiner and Bert do it for him. Told me that he's gonna make his move tonight. Now or never, I guess."

"Yeah, know right? I mean, in a few months we're graduating, and he still has not make a move on her. I know that they're going to the same college, but it's gonna be a lot harder for him to ask her there." Eren drank a few sips of Mikasa's drink after he saw that his water's already gone. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he added, "I mean, he's known her since sophomore year, and if I recall correctly, he's liked her since sophomore year. It's been too long, far too long, man."

"You know, Eren, I could hear you from here."

Eren and Mikasa froze and stared at their friend, who was staring back at them with blank blue eyes. He sighed and managed to curl his lips into a small, bitter smile. "But thanks for your concern, guys. I appreciate it."

The Asian girl gently patted Armin's back and smiled back.

"I guess it's not meant to be, Annie and I," Armin muttered, stirring the straw of his untouched cocktail with his fingers. "She's the one that got away, I suppose. Guess that I should move on or something. Should've realized that I don't have a chance with her before I really fell."

The brunet winced at Armin's depressing tone. "What the heck, Armin? You're giving up on her?"

Armin grunted and stared absentmindedly stared at the instruments onstage.

"Seriously dude? She doesn't show up one time, and you're saying that you're done with her? Just like that?"

Armin didn't answer, still staring at the instruments. Mikasa rubbed soothing circles on the blond's back as she looked at her boyfriend, silently asking him what to do with her eyes.

Eren looked at both of them, at his girlfriend who doesn't know how to cheer her heartbroken friend up, and at his poor friend who's suffering with one-sided love. 'Oh love, why are you so hard on Armin?' he thought to himself, drumming his fingers on the wooden table as he racked his brain for something. And then, as quickly as Sasha could finish a large bag of Lays, he finally got an idea.

He stood up so suddenly that his chair almost tipped over, turned his back on his friends and declared, "Don't worry, Armin. You're gonna get better." Without waiting for their response, he marched right towards his bandmates, who were getting by the stage.

* * *

><p>"So you're telling us that you're replacing Maroon 5 with…The Beatles?"<p>

Eren nodded at Reiner, who had a puzzled expression on his face. Berthold stared at the set list on his hand, frowning at the sudden inclusion of a song, while Ymir leaned at the wall, sipping whiskey as she listened on.

"No, we're sticking with the plan, Jaeger," the bulky blond said, crossing his arms over his chest. "_**Animals**_ is up next, then _**Radioactive**_, and, and…" He looked at his tall friend who has the master list.

"_**New Perspective**_," Berthold answered for him.

Reiner nodded and patted his bandmate's back. "See? Look at Bert. He knows how it's done, right bae? And Ymir too, I think." But neither of the two said anything (Berthold did cough once, though), so Reiner added, "We'll stick it in somewhere, someday, but not today, 'kay pal?"

As the drummer and the guitarist argued over the set list, Berthold fished his pocket for his phone, which was vibrating for a few times in between songs a while ago. Unlocking the screen, he noticed that his mom texted him a few times, asking him what time he'll be back home. Scrolling down his parent's texts, he found Annie's message to him, telling him that she might not make it to the gig because she had to run some errands for her dad. The guy put two and two together and loudly exclaimed, "Oh, I see!"

Eren and Reiner stopped arguing, and Ymir left her glass hovering above her lips. "It's Annie, isn't it? Annie and Armin?"

Armin's crush on the quiet and petite blonde was an open secret for the group; Annie herself probably being the only one oblivious to the boy's attentions.

"Armin must've found out that she's not coming, and you want to cheer him up with a song. Right, Eren?"

"Phew, thank God someone understands." The shorter brunet wiped the sweat on his forehead with a towel as he looked behind his shoulder to check up on his friends.

"But why The Beatles?" asks Reiner, who's eyebrows are still knotted in confusion.

Eren shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I heard _**Hey Jude**_ is a classic 'cheer up a heartbroken guy' song, and Armin loves The Beatles, so…"

"But do you know how to play?"

Eren held out his cellphone, which shows a webpage with the lyrics to the song. Reiner laughed at his friend's plans, admiring the guy's efforts to cheer up his gloomy friend. "Do _they _know how to play?" Sure he could easily follow to the song's beat, but he's not sure about his other bandmates…

"Don't worry about me," Berthold chimed in. "I'll do something about it." With the bassist's assurance, everyone now turned to Ymir, who finished the rest of her whiskey with one gulp. She smirked at the three of them and gave a thumbs up sign.

"Are you kidding me? My dad and I used to jam to The Beatles when I was younger!" In the dim lights, none of them could quite see the blush forming on her face. "And besides, Historia likes 'em too."

"So it's settled then? We're playing it?" Eren hopefully asked, which was answered by a solid pat on the back by Reiner. Dammit, he almost forgot how strong Reiner is, since he's a linebacker and all that.

"Anything to help out a friend, dude. Especially when it comes to _loove_."

* * *

><p>The entire bar exploded in cheers once The Titans returned center stage. Their friends were the loudest of them all, with Sasha and Connie's voices topping everyone else's. The band swelled with pride as they settled into their positions. Reiner sat behind the drum set, Berthold switched to an electric keyboard (thank God he knows the basic chords!), and Eren sat into the guitarist's seat but did not pick up his instrument.<p>

Ymir went up to the mic and thanked them all for waiting. Since she's the only female member, it was a unanimous decision that she should headline the band, however all of them take turns singing lead once in a while.

"Anyway," she said, waiting for the hollers to die down. "I'm getting tired of singing all evening long." Everyone loudly whined while the girl simply smirked, slowly walking around the stage. "So I guess I'll give the mic to…" She stopped in front of Eren and handed him the mic. The patrons erupted into cheers again, since they have yet to hear the lead guitarist sing.

Eren tried to hide the wide smile forming on his lips as he sat in front of the mic stand, especially when his friends, led by Mikasa, began to cheer "Eren! Eren! Eren!". Armin looked up at him with his sad eyes, and he merely gave him an even wider smile. He nodded when Ymir finished plugging the amp on the acoustic guitar in her arms and began strumming a few test notes.

"Hehe, thanks guys," he said, and at the sound of his voice the cheers faded into the background. "Wow, I'm finally singing lead, eh? Now, all those days singing in the shower finally pays off."

Laughter filled the bar, and a plastered Jean yelled "Good one!"

Eren smiled again. "This song that I'm gonna sing, it's a classic, you know? It's the kind of song that everyone knows the words to, even if they deny liking it." He smirked as he saw Armin look at him with interest. "This song is an odd one out of all the songs we've ever played over the past three years; probably the oldest one we've ever played, if I'm not mistaken. But hey, music is timeless, am I right?"

Everyone hollered and clapped at his wise words. "So, hope you guys like it." Eren signaled at his bandmates to get ready, then, staring into his friend's sad eyes, he added, "I'd like to dedicate this song to everybody in this room tonight. To everybody who has ever experienced falling in love."

His friend's eyes widened into the size of saucers as his other friends clapped and hollered. A blush crept on his face as his best friend onstage wink at him and say, "Hope you get the girl someday, Armin."

At the count of three, Eren took a deep breath and began to sing.

"_Hey Jude, don't make it bad  
>Take a sad song and make it better"<em>

Berthold began to play along, his fingers tapping away at the keys with skill and precision, just like how he plays his bass.

"_Remember to let her into your heart  
>Then you can start to make it better"<em>

Mikasa closed her eyes as she listened to her boyfriend's voice, lips curled into a gentle smile. She has often wondered why he seldom sang lead and instead settled for backing vocals or instrumentation despite his wonderful singing voice, and has more than once argued with the others to let him be in the spotlight every now and then. He told her that it wasn't time yet and that he hasn't found the perfect song to perform with the others yet (despite being the singer when The Titans first played), and now he has.

She turned towards Armin, who has a dumbstruck expression stuck on his face. She stifled a giggle as she saw Armin blush even deeper when it finally hit him: Eren is playing the song for _him_.

"_Hey Jude, don't be afraid  
>You were made to go out and get her<em>

And _her_, is… Armin quickly snapped his head towards Mikasa, who couldn't help it anymore and quietly laughed at his flustered face. "Just listen to the song," she whispered to him, and he did.

"_The minute you let her under your skin  
>Then you begin to make it better"<em>

Ymir joined with her perfect strumming of the chords, while the guys provided backing harmonies. Historia, seated at the table where Jean and Marco are, felt her heart flutter the moment her girlfriend began strumming. Though she knows that the song is for Armin (who are the only single people in their group?—no offence to him or Annie, of course), it feels as if Ymir is playing the song privately for her.

"_And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain  
>Don't carry the world upon your shoulders<br>For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool  
>By making his world a little colder"<em>

Armin finally let himself smile a little bit, listening to his best friend's band play one of his favorite songs. He swayed his head to the melody, drumming his fingers on the table when Reiner began to drum onstage, too.

At Historia's table, Jean began mouthing the words to the song as well, resting his weary head on Marco's shoulder, and was surprised when Marco slung an arm behind his back and gently squeezed Jean's shoulder. A flustered Jean glanced at his friend, whose face was flushed and equally flustered as he is, but Marco flashed him a warm smile that made Jean's pulse race.

"_Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah," _they sang along with Eren, still stuck in that intimate position together.

"_Hey Jude, don't let me down  
>You have found her, now go and get her,"<em>

"_Let it out, and let it in" _

Ymir's voice harmonized well with Eren's, and though he was surprised by her ad lib he continued to sing, the current guitarist blending gracefully with her soft, mezzo-soprano voice.

"_Remember to let her into your heart  
>Then you can start to make it better<br>Better, better, better, better, better woah!"_

"Yay, here comes the best part!" Sasha began to sway her arms and sing along, and Connie found himself staring at his best friend beside him. Since when did she begin to look pretty in his eyes, with her goofy smile, warm brown eyes, and infectious personality? And when did he and the other patrons in the bar begin to sing and way along to the song?

"_Na na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude!"_

Soon enough, the entire bar began to sing along with the band. Even Levi, who isn't really that much of a Beatles fan to begin with, tapped his feet to the beat and swayed his head to the melody. When he caught an employee staring at him, that new waitress with the shoulder-length honey brown hair, but he didn't glare at her like he normally does. Instead, he just waved at her with his hand, telling her to resume her work. He might've caught her blushing at him from the corner of his eye, though.

"_Na na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude!"_

Surprisingly, Armin found himself singing along too, laughing all the way as he rocked back and forth on his chair. He caught Eren's eye and smiled widely at him, forgetting that just a few minutes ago he was sulking at the table, waiting for a girl he'll ask out soon—maybe not tonight, but soon. With his hardened resolve, Armin began to think about where he'll take her out. Annie's not really the kind of girl who's into romantic dinners, but she does like to watch movies. Maybe there's a new opening at the theater he could take her to?

There's an instrumental solo in before the next coda begins. By that time, the guy who's been flirting with Mina left for the restroom, but not before slipping his number in between her fingers. The girl immediately began to type in the numbers on her smartphone until a tap on shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Sorry I'm late. Dad decided to take me out grocery shopping this late in the evening." Annie looked at the band onstage, and a smirk formed on her lips seeing who the singer. "So Jeager actually sings The Beatles? Interesting."

Mina laughed and handed her a glass of cocktail that the guy bought for her. She doesn't really drink alcohol, and knowing Annie, she'll probably like a little it. "Someone's been waiting for you all evening," She giggled and pointed at a table where an Asian girl and a blond boy were sitting. Taking the hint, Annie left her friend on the cocktail bar and headed toward the table, knowing fully well who that person is.

Eren sang again, and everyone else joined in the fun. Annie stopped in her tracks and observed the people all around her. Among the crowded tables and chairs, she spotted Sasha and Connie at that table over there, with girl's hands wrapped around one his arms as they cheerfully sang along. A few tables away from them sat Historia, Jean and Marco, with the girl staring longingly at her partner strumming onstage, too fixated to notice the two boys sharing a loving look among themselves. At one of the tables nearest to the stage sat Eren's best friends, Mikasa and Armin. Annie had to rub her eyes to see if the girl smiling and laughing really is Mikasa Ackerman, the only person whose "demon dazzle" rivals hers (the other Ackerman doesn't count since he doesn't go to school anymore). And then her eyes fell onto Armin, who's just as energetic as Mikasa is. These past few days she noticed the guy being shifty and nervous around her; sort of like how Berthold was before he confessed to Reiner. Annie felt her face get warmer, and she blamed the heat inside the establishment.

She watched her friends onstage, playing probably one of their best performances to date. Reiner, who's passionately beating on his drums while singing along. Berthold, smiling as he played along and whom she's glad is finally using his keyboard skills to use again (not that she doesn't like him playing bass; it's just that she got used to him playing keyboard for so long). Ymir, slaying that guitar riff with an acoustic one for a change. And Eren, who's actually singing lead after three years of performing back-up and instrumentals.

Not bad, Jaeger. Not bad.

"_Na na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude!"_

Annie promptly sat down on an empty chair beside Armin and propped her hand under her chin. Stirring her drink from Mina with her free hand, she said, "So, what did I miss?"

Armin whipped his head towards her with the ghost of a laugh on his lips. She found herself smiling a bit, too. "Well, most of the song. And most of their performances, actually."

"Anything interesting happened while I was gone?" She sipped her drink with the straw, knowing that her friend hasn't touched it yet. It has a tropical taste on her mouth, and she licked her lips afterwards, trying to pinpoint what drink Mina gave her. Armin found it hard not to stare at them.

"Um, Bert and Ymir finally performed the duet they were planning."

"Oh, what was it again?"

"_**The Phantom of the Opera**_. They have incredible vocal ranges, too, especially Berthold." Armin scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Didn't know he could sing that low."

Onstage, The Titans saw the development between the two blonds. Mikasa left the table shortly after Annie sat down and was hovering behind them. Berthold and Reiner beamed at their female friend, who's finally getting Armin's signals. Ymir felt proud at herself for indirectly playing matchmaker. Eren felt the happiest of them all, since it was his plan to motivate his friend to talk to Annie. And it looks like something good is going on between the two…

"_Na na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude!  
>Na na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude!"<em>

The two were now in their own tiny little bubble, just like all the other couples in the room. They even notice it when Hey Jude had finally ended, and they didn't mind the applause coming from the crowd. They didn't even realize that **_Thinking Out Loud_** was playing in the background, with Berthold singing in Ed Sheeran's place (a little something he thought about while watching all the lovebirds in the room).

In between their conversation, Armin finally took a sip from his cocktail, the ice now melted and dulling the flavors just a little bit. He grimaced as the flavors swirled in his mouth. Annie curiously raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" Her voice was filled with concern, an emotion only a handful of people ever see in her, Armin included. He shook his head and flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Nah, just not used to alcohol." He stared at the liquid in the glass. "Tastes pretty good, actually. Like a summer breeze."

Annie pursed her lips as her eyes fell into their drinks. Side by side, they actually look very similar, although hers has a slight pineapple taste mixed in. She racked her brain trying to remember the name of her drink. What does his taste like? Cautiously she reached for his glass. "May I?"

The boy blinked a couple of times, and then felt a surge of blood rising in his cheeks. Trying to keep his emotions in check, he nodded and slid the glass towards her. Everything suddenly became warmer as he watched her drink the liquid from the straw—his straw, which was in between his lips a while ago! Like what she did after having a taste from her own glass, Annie licked her lips once more.

"Ah, so mine is Bay Breeze." She slid the glass back to Armin. "And yours is Sea Breeze. Look at that, we actually match."

"How did you know that?" he asked, hoping that she didn't hear his voice crack just a little bit.

"Bay breezes have pineapple juice, while Sea Breezes have cranberry instead." She took a sip from her own glass once more, to check on her findings. "Or is it the other way around? I don't really remember…"

Without a second thought, Armin snatched the glass away from her and drank from her straw too, like the way she did. When the liquid entered his mouth, he did notice that distinct pineapple taste, something that his drink does not have. Satisfied in tasting for himself, Armin handed the glass back to his friend, who has a startled expression stuck on her face.

"Yup, pineapple alright."

Onstage, Eren tried his damnest not to laugh and screw up his performance. 'You sly, sly Armin Arlert! Giving indirect kisses like a boss!'

* * *

><p>"So, I was thinking…"<p>

Annie looked up from her cellphone to see Armin playing with the ends of his hair. What could he be nervous about, hm? Interested at how this conversation would go, Annie dropped the phone on the table, giving him her full attention.

'Now or never…' Taking a deep breath, Armin continued.

"I heard from Mikasa that the band scored another gig in a few more weeks. Not like this one, but at least they're playing again. Anyway, Historia's throwing a party, and she asked them to play. Well, them and a few other bands from school. I know you're not really into parties, but…"

He was interrupted by two of her fingers on his lips. "No offence Armin, but I'd prefer if we spend our first date somewhere less…noisy." She retracted her fingers, but the boy still felt the soft, gentle pressure on his lips. "There might be a slight chance that I'm grounded this week since I didn't ask permission to drive the car, but I saw that there's a new movie opening this Saturday. Not really interested in musicals, but I know you're a sucker for them." She turned her head away, attempting to hide the pink tint on her cheeks. "So, you free that day?"

Armin found himself chuckling, the nervousness finally relieved from his chest. "Sure! Pick you up at 3?"

* * *

><p><strong>Phew, so many ships in there. So let's see: there's AruAni, EreMika, ReiBert, YumiKuri, JeanMarco, SashaConnie, Mina with some random guy, and a little hint of LeviPetra. Wow, that's a lot. And I suck at writing romance, I know. Glad that's over! I might post a little side-story in the future, a sequel, or a prequel, maybe? Eh, who knows?<strong>


	2. Here's To Us!

**So I watched Across the Universe. It was just as awesome as I expected to be. Some parts were really trippy, like I was smoking weed or something, but didn't The Beatles get high, too? And really, I Am A Walrus sounds even more ridiculous in the movie. Just sayin'. All in all, it was a pretty cool movie.**

**Anyway, here's a little follow up on the first chapter. I was debating whether I should post this or not, but then again, it doesn't hurt to add another chappie, right?**

**Again, I don't own the song, nor Shingeki no Kyojin. Because if I did, then then the story would've gone faster and other ships would've been canon a long time ago. Also, Halestorm's awesome, ' nuff said.**

* * *

><p>"Where the hell is Ymir?"<p>

Berthold rarely loses his temper, but once he swears people know it's serious business.

Reiner shrugged his shoulders and downed the last drops of his vodka. "Hell if I know. Oh, Eren's back." The duo hopefully looked at their bandmate, who was asking around for any sign of their missing vocalist-slash-guitarist. Their hopes suddenly crashed down when the Jaeger boy dejectedly shook his head.

"Mina saw Ymir and Historia go in the girl's bathroom." Eren licked his lips at the sight of Reiner nursing his now empty shot glass.

"Ah, the secrets of the female urinary system and social interactions," Reiner muttered. Berthold sighed, a hunch forming at the back of his mind.

Eren grimaced. "They went in around 10 minutes ago."

Oh. The bulky blond and the tall brunet looked at each other, knowing fully well what the two girls are doing in there. They should know; when people have urges, it just…explodes. Boom, and you have to relieve those urges, so…

With a blush creeping up on his face, Berthold spoke, "Did anyone went in to get them?"

"They locked the door."

Fuck.

Reiner slammed the glass on the table so hard the other boys feared that it would break (thankfully it did not, much to the relief of Eren). "We're doomed!" We glanced at the empty stage beside them, and then at the people waiting patiently for the closing act. "We can't close the night without Ymir!"

Eren hung his head and began muttering something about "teaching her a lesson" and "bikes" and others. He knew that something like this would happen. He had always known that someday, one of 'em would screw up and they all have to pay the price for their action. If there's something Eren hates about being in a band, it must be the chances of being publicly humiliated. And in a bar like this too, full of adults and in the presence of his friends! Mikasa would break up with him and move out of their house, Armin would leave him for Annie, the band would break up… Such a shame! What a nightmare! Oh the horror!

While Reiner threw curses and profanities in the direction of the girl's bathroom and Eren began rocking back and forth on his feet, Berthold thought. Not in the way Armin would brainstorm, but close enough. Okay, so Eren devised a clever plan to raise his best friend's mood. What a nice friend Eren is, always looking after the others. Eren not only helped Armin get over his self-doubt, but also Annie, because he helped her realize Armin's feelings for her, and possibly even her feelings for him. Annie is also Eren's friend, but she's closer to him and Reiner. And friends help each other out, right?

His lips curled upward in a smile. In a flash, he pulled both his teammates in a huddle formation. One of the upsides of being really tall is also having a lengthy reach, and though he's not as strong as Reiner is he still managed to get the three of them together.

"Guys, I have a plan."

* * *

><p>Armin and Annie looked up from their conversation when they saw Berthold approaching them from a distance. Armin flashed his tall friend an easy smile, while Annie's lips automatically dipped into a frown.<p>

"Mind if I borrow Annie for a bit?" Berthold asked, with a hand already hovering above Annie's shoulder. Armin nodded once, and reluctantly Annie stood up from her seat and followed Bert backstage—er, sidestage, to be exact. 'And we were both going so well,' she thought to herself.

At the sight of their bassist returning with Annie in tow, Eren immediately jumped off the stack of crates where he was sitting and clasped the girl's hands with his own. "Thank goodness you're here!" he said in an awfully cheerful voice that does not really suit him, at least, in Annie's opinion.

Annie pried her hands away from the boy's grip and placed them on her hips. "Okay, so why exactly did you need to pull me out?" Her eyes scanned the three of them: Reiner smirking, Berthold sweating like he just finished running a marathon, and Eren smiling and…are those tears in his eyes? And where is Ymir? "Why is Ymir not here?" she asked.

Berthold scratched the back of his head. "She's, umm, she is currently unavailable right now," he responded. "And, umm, well…" He began murmuring incoherent phrases. 'The plan sounds much better in my head…'

Shaking his head at his friend's sudden lack of confidence, Reiner continued. "You see Annie, in gigs like these, you gotta make a big impression, you know what I mean? There might be talent scouts around here, watching, observing." Annie doubted the chances of a talent scout present in the bar, but that just might be her. "And if we, don't make a solid impression them, then we're not really that much of a great band, you know what I'm saying?"

"No," Annie deadpanned. "Just get to the point already."

Impatient, Eren took over Reiner's position. "Ymir snuck off to have hot lesbian sex with Historia, and we have one more song to perform before we call it a night." He took a deep breath. "If it's in the normal circumstances, either one of us could've taken over the lead, but it _needs_ someone of a certain…caliber."

Or a certain gender, to be exact.

Annie, putting two and two together, sudden paled in color and took a few steps back away from the band. "No fucking way I am going to do it."

The boys gulped in fear. Berthold cleared his throat. "But Annie," he began, but she cut him off with a hand.

"I may have practiced with you a while, but that's it. I sing with bands, but that doesn't mean I do bands. You know what I'm saying?"

"But it's sort of the same thing," Reiner muttered. Annie shot him a dirty look.

"And besides, how am I to know what song you're gonna close with?"

Eren released the breath that he has subconsciously been holding. "The same song we first practiced with you. You know, _that_ song."

The girl growled as memories of jamming with The Titans resurfaced in her head. During the early days of the band, Ymir was unavailable for band practice because she had to visit her grandparents, so the guys thought about postponing practice. Incidentally, Annie dropped by Reiner's place, intending to watch them play (because she didn't believe Reiner when he told her that he's in a band…but she never told that to them, of course). Coincidentally, Annie has a copy of the song—the same song that they're supposed to be practicing—on her cellphone (since she's a fan of the original artists), and the guys, appealing to their friendship, persuaded her to practice with them.

In the end, she agreed, and became a back-up singer whenever Ymir is away. However, only during their private practices, and only shows up during their gigs as an audience member. They used to talk to her about persuading her to join the band, but she always refuses. She didn't tell Eren and Ymir why, but Berthold and Reiner, having known the girl since their preschool years, knows.

"I am not singing. Period."

"But Eren did you a favor, Annie!" She raised an eyebrow towards Berthold, who has a desperate look painted on his face. "If it wasn't for him—and by extension, us too, then you wouldn't have snagged that date with Armin!"

The three boys didn't know that Annie's face could turn into that weird, but abnormally adorable (they dare not say that aloud) pink shade. She opened her mouth to say something, but ended up closing and opening it again like a fish.

"We helped you get closer to him, Annie," Berthold continued, staring into her eyes. "So it's your turn to help us."

Annie crossed her arms over her chest, obviously thinking about the offer.

"Please, Annie." Eren stepped closer and clasped his hands together, placing them near his heart. "Just this once, and we promise not to bother you again."

They heard her click her tongue against the roof of her mouth; a sign that she's ready to buy it. She stared at them for a few more seconds, her icy gaze freezing the boys in their positions. And then, slowly, she sighed and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she spoke.

"Anything I else I should know? Changes, variations, suggestions?"

The boys shared a big smile among themselves. Jackpot.

Everyone stared as a blonde woman went up to the mic stand, clearly not the same woman who sang a few hours ago. But they still clapped as she hesitantly tapped the microphone with her fingers. Her friends all shared a shocked look among themselves: what is Annie doing up there?

Done with her mic test, Annie looked at Eren for a sign. 'What should I do?' her eyes said, and the boy took the hint.

"Erm, since our vocalist is currently away doing _more important stuff than singing_," he said, emphasizing the last part of his sentence, "we had to ask one of our friends here, Annie, to sing in her place." The audience members cheered at the sound of her name.

Reiner breathed on his mic. "She's really good, we promise." Annie whipped her head back to glare at him, and she barely registered the cheers from her friends.

"She's almost like the fifth member of our band, to be honest." Annie stared at Berthold, dumbfounded by his words. "Too bad she didn't join, right guys?"

The rest of the band and their friends erupted into cheers. Her eyes fell into Armin's, who actually looks amused, seeing her up there. She couldn't help but blush when he gave a warm smile, averting her eyes because she felt like melting then and there.

"Whatever," she said in a bored tone. They must be guilt-tripping her into joining the band, but it's too late to persuade her now. She jabbed a finger at Eren's direction, directing him to begin.

On cue, Eren began strumming the opening notes of the song. Some of the rock fans in the audience yelled in delight when they recognized the song that they were playing, including Marco, who was a closet hard-rock fan.

Taking a deep breath, Annie scanned the audience members and opened her mouth to sing:

"_We could just go home right now  
>Or maybe we could stick around<br>For just one more drink, oh yeah"_

Armin stared at the girl on stage, recalling the song that she used to hum whenever she thinks that no one's looking (not that he was stalking her!). He knows that she could sing—heck, everyone has the ability to sing!—but he didn't know Annie was _this_ good. He had always found her deep, mature voice to be rather sexy, and now he finds that she sounds even _hotter_ when she sings.

"_Get another bottle out  
>Lets shoot the shit<br>Sit back down  
>For just one more drink, oh yeah"<em>

After the first half of her verse, Berthold and Reiner joined in, with their bass and drums, respectively. Sasha bobbed her head to the beat as she walked back to the table where she and Connie, oh, and Mikasa too, sat. In her hands are two frothing mugs of beer, one for her, one for Connie. The boy grinned when he saw her approach, while Mikasa frowned. She stood up and passed Sasha, telling her that she'll get a mug of her own. The other girl simply nodded, wondering why Mikasa seemed to be in a bad mood.

"What's up with her?" she asked Connie as she handed him his mug. Their fingers touched for a split second, but a sudden spark of electricity flowed between the two of them. Connie wonders if it's just the effect of alcohol in his system.

"Dunno," he answered, trying to act normal. He drank his mug, a pleased sigh released from his lips after he drank. Then he turned towards Sasha, who took one good look at him and giggled ferociously. He only stared at her, wondering what the heck is the matter with her.

"You have a mustache, dumdum!" She wiped his foam "mustache" with her fingers, and she accidentally brushed the top of his lips. Though she wanted to immediately recoil her fingers, she had to make sure that there's no foam left, so she continued wiping it off, attempting to ignore the growing blush on both their faces.

"There," She gave him a thumbs up sign and a toothy grin. "Better."

"_Here's to us, here's to love  
>All the times that we fucked up"<em>

"Jean, you're drunk." He and Marco had been sitting side by side the entire evening, drunk boy playing with his friend's hair as he continued to drink more alcohol. He's already used to Jean's displays of affections, and really didn't mind it when people sometimes stared at them. "You should stop before you get even more drunk."

The other boy laughed, sounding even closer to a horse's braying due to being plastered. "Don't care," he said, pulling Marco closer to him. "You'll drive me home, anyway."

Marco snorted. "You're dad's gonna kill me if we show at your doorstep." The smell of alcohol in Jean's breath is intoxicating. "And I don't wanna die young."

"_Here's to you, fill the glass  
>'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass<br>So let's give 'em hell  
>Wish everybody well, here's to us, here's to us!"<em>

"Well, you said your parents aren't home for the week…" Jean pulled away from his friend, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I dunno, but maybe I could crash at your place?"

The freckled boy blinked twice, then blushed at the implications of his friend's suggestions. He and Jean used to stay at each other's houses, but right now, it might be a little awkward between them, seeing as they have practically been flirting with one another. He knows that Jean's not in his right mind right now, but didn't they use to say that a drunk man is an honest man? Maybe, just maybe…

Marco forced himself to smile just a little bit. "Anything to help you out."

"_Stuck it out this far together  
>Put our dreams through the shredder<br>Let's toast 'cause things got better"_

Historia unlocked the door of the girl's restroom now that they're done. It's their first time doing something intimate at a public place such as a bar like this, and she feels rather dirty despite the restroom being cleaner than the usual public restroom. Adjusting the collar of her blouse, she noticed the mark Ymir made on her collar bone in the mirror, already beginning to bruise. Ymir's still inside the cubicle fixing her clothes when she heard the music.

"Ymir?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hear that?"

The blonde girl could not recognize who the singer was, and due to the thick walls it sounded rather muffled. But whoever it was, she sure could sing.

In the cubicle, Ymir stopped her struggles with her leggings. She's usually rather partial to the use of leggings, but she had accidentally used her old pair, the one with the busted garter. Because she couldn't find a better fitting pair, she shrugged and just went on with it, wearing a lengthy t-shirt to hide her panty line, if it ever shows. It's a pain too remove and put back on.

"They're…playing…" she murmured, straining her ears to listen.

"Guess so," her girlfriend replied from the other side of the door. "Do you know who's singing? She sounds pretty good, to be honest." A pause, and then she added, "But you're better!"

But Ymir didn't hear anything Historia said. Instead, a slight pang of jealousy ached in her chest. Jealousy, and rage. How dare they play without her! They planned it already! _She_ would be the one singing the lead! How dare they not wait for her! She kicked the door open, shocking Historia so much that the blonde jumped back and hit her hip on the sink.

"Historia! Help me with this!"

"_And everything could change like that  
>And all these years go by so fast<br>But nothing lasts forever"_

Mina sat down beside Armin, the boy still fixated on the singer onstage. Aside from the band themselves, she's the only outsider who knows about Annie singing back-up during some practice sessions. She's also the only other person who knows why Annie won't join the band despite them bugging her to go. When Armin noticed her, he greeted her.

"Hey Mina," he said. "Do you know about this?"

The twin-tailed girl bit her lower lip. She turned her head to look at the stage. Annie seems to be enjoying herself; her body language shows it. "She used to be as stiff as a board onstage," Mina mused. "Hated to be in the spotlight. Hated every second of it."

Armin propped his chin on his hand, his eyes still on the singer. "They wanted her to join the band, since last year, I think. But she always refused." Mina paused to take a sip from her fruit juice.

"How come?" he asked, wanting to know more about Annie. Both of them watched the band playing, at Eren expertly plucking and strumming the strings, at Reiner, who smiled as he hit the drums and cymbals with his sticks, at Berthold, who owned the bass better than anyone else.

"She has…confidence issues, that's all."

'Confidence issues…'

Onstage, Annie swayed and rocked and moved to the music. She sang passionately, every word escaping her lips sounding perfect. She leaked of confidence, just like the rest of the band. Confidence, passion, happiness.

"I guess she just needed a little kick, or something." Mia winked at Armin. "A motivation of some sort."

He smiled back at her. "I guess she did."

'Just like what Eren did to me a while ago.'

"_Here's to us, here's to love  
>All the times, that we messed up<br>Here's to you, fill the glass  
>'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass<br>If they give ya hell  
>Tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us, here's to us!"<em>

Annie couldn't believe it. She's singing onstage, with Berthold, with Reiner, with Eren. She's singing just like how she did a long time ago, in Reiner's garage. And she's singing _lead_, something that Ymir was ready to give to her if she ever accepted their offer. She has forgotten how horrible her past memories felt like, how utterly humiliated she was years ago.

There's a reason why she hated the stage. A long time ago, when she was still in preschool, she was cast as an angel for the Christmas play. Not just an angel, but _the_ angel, the one who shows up at the end to summarize the entire play and would sing lead in _**Silent Night**_. It's such an important role, almost as important as Mary or Joseph or the Three Kings.

But she was too nervous, too jittery, and she ended up freezing on stage, forgetting her lines and almost crying in front of everyone. The adults just clapped at her, but young Annie knew it was out of pity. Her father shook his head, and her mother just smiled bitterly. Ever since that day, she hated be in the spotlight. She hated the stage, for fear of being humiliated again.

But everything's changing now.

So as she sang one of her favorite songs, on stage, with a live band composed of her friends, she shone. She shone as bright as the spotlights above them, as bright as the stars glittering in the night sky. She glittered, she sparkled, she smiled and beamed. And she loved it every moment of it.

So she took the words of the song to heart as she sang along.

'Here's to us!'

"_Here's to all that we kissed  
>And to all that we missed<br>To the biggest mistakes  
>That we just wouldn't trade<br>To us breaking up  
>Without us breaking down<br>To whatever's comin' our way! Here's to us!"_

The cheers of the crowd roared louder the moment they saw who's making the guitar solo. Eren almost stopped playing when he saw Ymir march onstage, overriding his planned solo. But he continued playing melody, giving the spotlight to her. It's a while since she ever played solo, so instead he readied himself for his next part to play.

Annie was taken aback when Ymir appeared, her hand clutching the microphone tightly. But the other girl just smiled and nodded at her, mouthing something like "good job", or whatever she said.

Eren took a moved his mouth closer to his mic and sang the first chorus:

"_Here's to us, here's to love  
>All the times, that we messed up<br>Here's to you, fill the glass"_

Annie's voice shone once again as she sang the next part.

"_'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass  
>If they give ya hell<br>Tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us, here's to us!"_

Mikasa stood at the middle of the VIP floor staircase. Levi cornered her at the drinks station, warning her that if any of her friends messes up, she's gonna be the first to pay. She hates the guy, from his abnormally short stature despite being two decades older than her, to the way he speaks about her friends. To hell with family!

But at the same time, he is family, too. The only one left sharing part of her blood.

Sighing, she listened as Eren sang his part of the song. With Annie at the end. She hates to admit it, but Annie does sound good. As much as she hates to admit to herself how important Levi has become to her ever since tracking him down a few months back.

Now it's Reiner's turn to shine:

"_Here's to us, here's to love  
>All the times, that we messed up"<em>

It has been a while since he sang, and he wasn't informed about his part until a while ago, but hey, at least he was given a part! Drumming while singing's rather hard, too. He winked at Berthold, telling him to get ready for the next part, but the bassist shook his head. 'Ymir,' he mouthed.

"_Here's to you, fill the glass  
>'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass"<em>

She's still slightly pissed off, of course, about the others not coming to get her. But at least Bert agreed to give her a part to sing. She can't let Annie steal the spotlight for herself, even if she's proud that she agreed to sing in front of a crowd. And probably on the last minute, too. She nodded at Berthold, trying hard to think about the crowd's reactions once he sings.

"_If they give ya hell  
>Tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us, here's to us!"<em>

Their friends began to holler loudly again at the sound of Berthold cursing on stage. Given that it's part of the song, but he's cussing! He rarely ever swears! And if he does, they know shit's going down!

Without any sign from each other, they all sang together for the last lines of the song. Their voices sound so good together; it's as if the five of them were meant to play together!

"_Here's to us, here's to love!  
>Here's to us!<br>Wish everybody well!  
>Here's to us, here's to love!<br>Here's to us!_"

"_Here's to us!"_

The audience erupted into cheers, their friends even giving them a standing ovation. All five of them were breathing heavily, exhausted from playing all night, and in Annie's case, overwhelmed.

Still panting, Eren took the mic from his stand and exclaimed, "Thank you, 104! Thank you everyone!" He walked center stage, and the others followed suit. Annie was surprised to find herself in the middle of the line, with Eren and Ymir on her right, and Berthold and Reiner on her left.

"Thank you, thank you everyone so much! Once again, we are The Titans, and goodnight everyone!"

All five of them held hands and bowed in front of the audience.

Their third anniversary is a success, one that they will cherish in their memories forever. Everyone enjoyed it; their friends, the other audience members, Levi most importantly, and they'd probably have a fifth member to add to their roster. Isn't that pretty sweet?

* * *

><p>Mikasa pocketed her own share of the money before latching onto Eren, who wordlessly gave her his pay. She raised an eyebrow at him, but silently added his wad of bills inside her wallet. Must've forgotten his wallet at home. Urgh, men. She raised her scarf above her chin as the two of them walked hand in hand to the parking lot, both of them not wanting to be the driver.<p>

Behind them followed Mina, Sasha and Connie, with the girls gossiping about the guy Mina flirted with while the lone boy calculated the probability of Sasha offering to give him a lift. As if hearing his thoughts, the ponytailed brunette tugged on his sleeve and asked if he wanted to ride home with her and Mina. He accepted of course, since he blew his money on drinks and food a while ago, but winced at the thought of sharing her with Mina.

Behind the trio followed another trio. Armin and Marco half-dragged Jean towards his parked car. The blond asked the sober boy if he had counted how many drinks he had. Marco shrugged and honestly told him that he only had a piña colada, a shot of vodka and two glasses of rum on the rocks. Both boys joked about Jean having a weak liver; the drunk responded by pinching their ears. Hard.

Historia and Ymir headed towards the latter's bike. Historia is honestly afraid of riding motorcycles, having seen an accident up close when she was younger and fears Ymir or herself being in one. But does she have a choice anymore? Her sister's been bombarding her with texts and missed calls, telling her that their dad's been asking about her. She could hail a cab, but it would take her too long to arrive home, and Ymir knows a shortcut. The taller girl patted her head lovingly, telling her that she'll be careful. Not that it eases her mind, anyway, but she's grateful for it.

The last ones to leave are Reiner, Berthold and Annie, with Annie up front while the guys followed her, pleading her to give them a ride home. But she won't agree, telling them that their houses are out of the way and she'll end up in trouble with her dad. Berthold actually doesn't mind taking a taxi, but Reiner continued to insist, earning him the business end of the girl's signature kick. With a sigh, the boy gave up, rubbing soothing circles on his aching back.

The first to leave the parking lot was Ymir and Historia. Everyone waved them goodbye as they sped off into the street in a motorcycle. The blonde tightly hugged at her girlfriend's waist, clinging for her dear life even before Ymir revved up the engine.

Armin unlocked the door to Jean's car as Marco unceremoniously shoved Jean in the passenger seat. The drunk boy merely groaned as he slept, drool slowly dribbling down his chin. Marco thanked the other boy for his help, and Armin walked towards Eren and Mikasa, who offered his a ride home.

On his way, he passed by Annie, who's just getting in her car. Their eyes met, causing them to simultaneously blush. He said that it's alright if they reschedule their date if she ever gets in trouble tonight, but she shook her head and told him that their pushing through with Saturday, grounded or not. There's just something about forbidden dates that keeps both of them on the edge. With a quick smile, Armin walked away towards his friends' car.

The blond found Mikasa and Eren engrossed in a battle of rock-paper-scissors. Neither of them wanted to drive, so the loser of their game would be the drive them for tonight. Armin sighed and offered to be the driver, but in one condition: he gets to borrow their car until next Monday. Eren protested, but Mikasa said yes, throwing her friend the keys to car. Chuckling to himself, Armin entered the driver's seat, Mikasa slid inside the passenger's side and Eren reluctantly sat at the back.

Mina tried her hardest not to giggle and tease Connie and Sasha as the two argued about which route to take. Though she felt like the third wheel, she finds it cute that these two knuckleheads are arguing from time to time. Like an old married couple. Sighing, she took out her phone and stared at the picture of the guy she was with earlier that evening. As Mina ogled at the screen, Connie finally gave up and leaned his head on the window, muttering something about getting lost in the streets. Victorious, Sasha placed the keys in the ignition and backed the car up.

And that leaves Reiner and Berthold, walking towards the main avenue in hopes of catching a cab this late in the evening. Berthold doesn't mind it, really, walking with Reiner. In fact, he appreciates the silence and the privacy. Unlike Ymir and Historia, they're rather uncomfortable with public displays of affection, so in private both the boys are able to walk hand in hand, talking about how awesome the night was. They were immediately able to hail a taxi, to the relief of both of them.

They sat side by side at the backseat, with Reiner's head resting on Berthold's shoulder as he slowly drifted asleep. Berthold released a much needed yawn as he pulled out his cellphone to text his parents that he's on his way home. And then…

"Fuck!"

Reiner was roused from his sleep, and even the driver seemed to have temporarily lost control of the car as it swerved slightly to the left. "Eh, whazzit about?" the blond asked, slowly blinking his eyes. He turned to his head to meet Berthold's face, who's wearing a panicked expression.

"It's almost midnight." The brunet answered, in a soft voice.

"So?"

* * *

><p>Armin gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white. He wanted to tell Mikasa to shut up, but he's too afraid to speak. He could hear Eren gulp in fear.<p>

"Today is Thursday, right?" she asked, eyes glued on the city lights outside. She released her breath that she didn't even realized that she was holding.

"I hate Thursdays," Eren grumbled.

"But I hate Fridays the worst." He and Mikasa nodded at Armin's wise words.

* * *

><p>"Oh God no!"<p>

"We're doomed!"

Mina groaned as she listened to the panicked voices of Sasha and Connie. "See? That's why I didn't drink at all," she murmured. She's not worried over Sasha's driving skills; she knows that she kept her drinking in check. She's also confident enough that Connie kept himself in check too. But hangovers could happen even to those who didn't drink that much, right?

* * *

><p>Marco kept staring at Jean's sleeping figure beside him every now and then. Poor guy. He can't handle his liquor even if his life depended on it. He wondered if he and Jean would just skip tomorrow, but it would hurt their records. They haven't been late for school since the year began. And besides, it's just one test…<p>

"Oh Friday, why did you have to be tomorrow?" he quietly said.

Jean did not respond to his question. Jean never answers rhetorical questions, awake or not.

* * *

><p>"Don't go to school tomorrow," Historia whispered in Ymir's ear before she hopped off the bike. "You know how he hates people with hangovers…"<p>

But Ymir forced herself to laugh. "Me? I don't get hangovers, silly girl. But you do."

The blonde whimpered, hugging herself to calm her down. "But I'm scared for you!"

"I'm scared for you, too."

Fuck PE. And fuck the guy who teaches it!

* * *

><p>She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood on her tongue. She knows that it was a terrible idea to celebrate on a Thursday. But did they listen? Of course they didn't; she didn't voice out her fears. But couldn't they have waited until Friday? At least it isn't a school day the following day.<p>

As Annie parked her car at the driveway, she reflected on what happened on her night out.

She was late, but Armin asked her out. Or rather, she asked him out, but either way is fine for her. She was forced to sing in front of a crowd, but she got over her confidence issues. She was able to drink free-flowing alcohol, but thankfully she's sober enough to drive herself home. It's alright that she refused the other's offer to divide the money again to include her; after all, it's just one song, and she's not an official member yet until the next session.

Yes, she did have fun, tonight, but there's one catch.

Annie slammed the door close so hard that she swears her father would've heard it from his bedroom. She didn't care when she stumbled on the porch steps and fumbled for the keys in her pocket. She pretended not to hear her dad's inquiry over the wellbeing of his car from the top of the stairs. She didn't even wash off the make-up on her face before she slid under the covers of her bed.

All she cares about is that Shadis is gonna fuck them up once they show up in his class with hangovers.

Mina is such a lucky bitch.

"Oh well. Here's to us."

* * *

><p><strong>So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night. Fuck school, so much, I'd rather stay and write!<strong>

***gets shot because of Sound of Music feels***

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this story! Thank you for all your views and reviews!**


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